YOUNG JANE YOUNG by Gabrielle Zevin
Algonquin | Release Date: August 22, 2017 | 320 pages
I (and almost all of my bookish buds) loved Zevin's previous release, THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY. YOUNG JANE YOUNG is labeled as "another perfect fable for our times--a story about women, choices, and recovering from past mistakes."
Florida Congressional intern Aviva Grossman has an affair with her boss and then blogs about it. While the Congressman's reputation is unfazed, Aviva's name becomes a punchline and her career is derailed. Changing her name and starting a new life, she puts her past behind her. But in the age of Google, does the past ever stay in the past?
After an affair, young Aviva's hopes for a political future are crushed while the congressman she was involved with continues to find success. This frustrating double standard leads Aviva to begin a new life as Jane Young, an event planner. YOUNG JANE YOUNG begins just before Jane/Aviva's affair and picks up again several years later. Told from the point of view of Jane/Aviva, her mother, and her daughter, Zevin gives these women smart, hilarious, and witty dialogue as well as several other strong female characters (the congressman's wife, her mother's best friend). Zevin also played with style and format in this novel and I loved it! Adding the modern epistolary form of emails and a Choose Your Own Adventure section (when I read about this section in the publicist's pitch I thought "How in the world is she gonna do that?" and when you see how, you will crack up! After loving THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY so much I was worried that YOUNG JANE YOUNG would not stand up to my high expectations. I was so pleased to be proven wrong!
***Disclaimer:: I was given a copy of this release in exchange for an honest review. I received no additional compensation. ***
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